Privet Bonsai Progression Series- Part Two

Summer 2010, the front and the back views of the Privet bonsai

As previously detailed in Part One of this progression series, by 2010 this Privet bonsai had 3 of its original 5 trunks remaining. However, when another of the trunks died during the Winter of 2010, I lost interest in the tree.

18 months later, in August 2011, I decided to re-inject some life into the tree and restyle it. Whilst the hollow base made this front interesting, the lack of taper and movement in the remaining trunk made the bonsai look awkward and I disliked the visual distance between the foliage mass and the deadwood at the base.

I decided that what had previosuly been the back-right side of the Privet would make a better front for the tree. From this angle the tree had a powerful base, good taper up to the crown of the tree and the base had some interesting features I believed I could improve on with some detailed carving .

In total I spent 8 hours re-carving the deadwood, adding new details and insterest to the existing wood using a combination of handtools and a die-grinder.

Halfway through recarving the deadwood

Once I was happy with my carving, the wood was lime-sulphured to whiten it.

Detail of the new front of the tree before re-carving........

............and after

The foliage mass was then rewired and the bonsai fed heavily through the following Spring and Summer of 2012 to increase the ramification of the branches.

August 2012: A year after the restyling the tree and a month after defoliation in July, the tree has just put out a new crop of leaves and the redesign is complete.

Ligustrum ovalifolium/Common Privet bonsai Height 19"/48 cm

My daughter Alice (aged 2) helping me photograph the bonsai!